UDON THANI — A terrifying incident unfolded Wednesday afternoon when a 72-year-old British man’s car crashed through a concrete fence wall into a residential home, narrowly missing an 8-year-old girl.
The incident occurred at 4:10 p.m. on June 4 in Moo 5, Soi Mangkhang 1, Ban Dong Udom, Nong Bua Subdistrict Municipality, Mueang Udon Thani District. Deputy Inspector Phao Saengkongplee of Mueang Udon Thani Police Station received the report and investigated the scene, reviewing CCTV footage from a grocery store across the street.
The footage revealed a Toyota sedan with Khon Kaen license plates accelerating from a parking area beside a coin-operated laundry before crashing through approximately 3.5 meters of concrete fencing. The vehicle penetrated deep into the property, with nearly the entire car ending up inside the residential compound.
Vehicle inspection showed extensive damage including a detached front bumper, broken front grille, completely shattered windshield, and oil leakage. Both driver and passenger airbags had deployed. After the crash, the British driver reportedly opened his car door and walked approximately 200 meters to his rented accommodation without speaking to anyone at the scene.
Homeowner Prayoon Saenwian, 52, described the moments before impact: “I was inside feeding chickens when my 8-year-old niece, nicknamed Gao, who had been coloring on a bamboo bed behind the house, walked down to ask me for money to buy snacks. That’s exactly when the car crashed through our fence. She nearly got hit and started crying hysterically before running to me.”
Witness Saman Kingpudsa, 65, who was digging a drainage ditch near the laundry, observed the British man bringing clothes to wash before the incident.
“He was revving his engine for about 3 minutes – the car kept stalling like there was an engine problem. Then suddenly it shot forward from the parking area and crashed into the fence. When I went to look, I saw the foreigner grabbing a large amount of money from the car’s console before leaving the scene and returning to his accommodation.”
Police later visited the British man’s lodging to question him about the incident and conducted a breathalyzer test, which returned a result of 0.0 for alcohol content. Authorities have arranged for mediation between the homeowner and the British national to settle damages compensation through proper legal channels.
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